System and Method for Establishing and Enforcing Service Rules in a Service Provider Network

1. A system for establishing a rule for an end device from a remote operations center comprising: a remote operations center operated by a service provider; a local gateway, wherein the local gateway is located at a subscriber location; a subscriber network connected to a subscriber side of the local gateway; a service provider network connected to the remote operations center and a service provider side of the local gateway; an end device, wherein the end device is connected to the local gateway via the subscriber network, wherein the end device comprises capability information, wherein the capability information is indicative of whether the end device is capable of performing the functions required to utilize a service provided by the service provider, and wherein the end device is configured to provide the capability information to the local gateway; and a first datastore accessible to the remote operations center, wherein the first datastore receives the capability information and subscriber identifying information from the local gateway, wherein the remote operations center is adapted for: accessing the first datastore; relating the capability information of the end-device to services provided by the service provider to identify a subscriber service provided by the service provider that is supported by the end device based on the capability information (the supported subscriber service); accessing a second datastore to determine, using the subscriber indentifying information, whether the subscriber is entitled to receive the supported subscriber service; establishing a rule set to govern use of the supported subscriber service by the end device when the subscriber is entitled to receive the supported subscriber service; determining from the capability information whether use of the supported subscriber service by the end device requires an application to be operated by the local gateway; and sending the application to the local gateway via the service provider network when the application is required, and wherein the local gateway is further adapted for: receiving the application; and operating the application.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote operations center is further adapted for sending the rule set to the local gateway via the service provider network, and wherein the local gateway is adapted for enforcing the rule set so as to permit the end device to use the supported subscriber service in accordance with the rule set.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the service provider network is a cable network and the remote operations center is a headend.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subscriber network is selected from the group consisting of a wired network and a wireless network.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the end device is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a personal digital assistant, a personal media assistant, a digital telephone and a set top terminal.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the supported subscriber services are selected from the group consisting of video streaming, video downloading, music streaming, music downloading, voice over IP, picture sharing, application sharing, video conferencing, video books and electronic print distribution, movie and program libraries distribution, online gaming, alerting services, and advanced remote device support.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rule set comprises one or more rules selected from the group consisting of a quality of service rule, a digital rights rule, a music rule, a video rule, a voice rule, an application rule, a time-of-day rule, a metered usage rule, a priority rule, and an authorization rule.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote operations center is further adapted for: determining from the capability information whether use of the supported subscriber service by the end device requires an application to be operated at the remote operations center; and operating the application at the remote operations center when the application is required.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote operations center is further adapted for: determining from the capability information whether use of the supported subscriber service by the end device requires an application to be operated by the end device; and sending the application to the local gateway via the service provider network when the application is required, wherein the local gateway is further adapted for: receiving the application; and sending the application to the end device, wherein the end device is adapted for operating the application.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote operations center is further adapted for: using the capability information to identify services offered by the service provider that are supported by the end device (offered supported services); identifying an offered supported service that the subscriber is not entitled to receive; and notifying the subscriber of how to become authorized to receive the offered supported service that the subscriber is not entitled to receive.

11. A method for establishing a rule for an end device from a remote operations center comprising: an end device providing capability information to a local gateway, wherein the end device is connected to the local gateway via a subscriber network and wherein the capability information is indicative of whether the end device is capable of performing the functions required to utilize a service provided by the service provider; a first datastore receiving the capability information and subscriber identifying information from the local gateway via a service provider network, wherein the first datastore is accessible to the remote operations center; the remote operations center accessing the first datastore; the remote operations center relating the capability information of the end-device to services provided by the service provider to identify a subscriber service provided by the service provider that is supported by the end device based on the capability information (the supported subscriber service); the remote operations center accessing a second datastore to determine, using the subscriber indentifying information, whether the subscriber is entitled to receive the supported subscriber service; the remote operations center establishing a rule set to govern use of the supported subscriber service by the end device when the subscriber is entitled to receive the supported subscriber service; the remote operations center determining from the capability information whether use of the supported subscriber service by the end device requires an application to be operated by the end device; the remote operations center sending the application to the local gateway via the service provider network when the application is required; the local gateway receiving the application; the local gateway sending the application from the local gateway to the end device; and the end device operating the application.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the service provider network is a cable network and the remote operations center is a headend.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the subscriber network is selected from the group consisting of a wired network and a wireless network.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the end device is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a personal digital assistant, a personal media assistant, a digital telephone, and a set top terminal.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the services are selected from the group consisting of video streaming, video downloading, music streaming, music downloading, voice over IP, picture sharing, application sharing, video conferencing, video books and electronic print distribution, movie and program libraries distribution, online gaming, alerting services, and advanced remote device support.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rule set comprises one or more rules selected from the group consisting of a quality of service rule, a digital rights rule, a music rule, a video rule, a voice rule, an application rule, a time-of-day rule, a metered usage rule, a priority rule, and an authorization rule.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising: the remote operations center determining whether use of the supported subscriber service by the end device requires an application; and the remote operations center operating the application when the application is required.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising: the remote operations center using the capability information to identify services offered by the service provider that are supported by the end device (offered supported services); the remote operations center using the subscriber identifying information to identify an offered supported service that the subscriber is not entitled to receive; and the remote operations center notifying the subscriber of how to become authorized to receive the offered supported service that the subscriber is not entitled to receive.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising: the remote operations center determining from the capability information whether use of the supported subscriber service by the end device requires an application to be operated by the local gateway; the remote operations center sending the application to the local gateway via the service provider network when the application is required; the local gateway receiving the application; and the local gateway operating the application.